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Liverpool have already been linked with a number of midfielders this summer and even reportedly agreed personal terms with Aurelien Tchouameni before he committed to a move to Real Madrid, so the Reds are clearly open to bolstering the midfield at Anfield this summer.

With Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner all went into their 30s at this point, it would seem likely that the club are looking at reinforcements to cover their positions in the future, but they could also look at replacing the role that Georginio Wijnaldum fulfilled before he left on a free transfer last summer.

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Carlos Soler has been linked with a move to Anfield on more than one occasion over the last 12 months, and it was reported in April that Liverpool may take a look at the Valencia player again after an impressive season in La Liga.

The £33m-valued midfielder – who was dubbed “special” by journalist Dermot Corrigan – scored 11 goals, contributed five assists and created five big chances in 32 La Liga appearances this season. He made 1.7 key passes and took 1.3 shots on goal per game, also winning the majority of his ground and aerial duels combined (52%).

According to FBRef, when it comes to footballers who are comparable to Soler, Wijnaldum ranks in the top 10 players over the last 12 months due to their similar attacking output and style of play.

Soler has scored more goals and contributed more assists than the Dutchman, but when it comes to their passing attributes, the midfielders are much closer in comparison. In 2021/22, the Spaniard completed 680 passes with a success rate of 69.1%, with Wijnaldum completing 683 at a much better pass accuracy of 90.5%.

Jurgen Klopp currently uses Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliot and Naby Keita in the most advanced role in the midfield three, but Soler has scored seven more goals and completed the same number of assists as all three combined.

If the German is looking to add more goal contributions from the midfield, then Soler would be the perfect fit for Liverpool next season. If he could emulate his output at Valencia, he could be more effective in the role than all three of the aforementioned players put together, giving the Anfield faithful a throwback to what Wijnaldum once brought to the team.

AND in other news – “LFC want…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge transfer update, supporters will be buzzing

Aston Villa are said to be in talks with Ashley Young over a new deal with reporter Fabrizio Romano revealing on Tuesday that there are “very good chances” the player will continue his stint in the Midlands.

Young was initially named as one of the eight players who were set to be released, as per Birmingham Mail.

Their own Milner

At the age of 36, Young still has a lot to offer to a Premier League side who are looking to instil success as Villa seemingly are.

The sale of Matt Targett to Newcastle United has left the Villans short of depth at left full-back and with the majority of Young’s appearances coming in that position, it is a no-brainer to renew his contract.

Besides a winning mentality and stacks of experience, Young offers Villa boss Gerrard versatility, having played throughout seven different positions in the Premier League this season, featuring at; left-back, left midfield, left-wing, central midfield, attacking midfield, right midfield, and right-back – making at least one appearance in each of the aforementioned positions.

If you think of the smartest teams in the league, they have a utility man. For instance, Manchester City have Oleksandr Zinchenko and Liverpool have James Milner. Coincidentally, they both occupy the role of full-back and central midfield, a service that Young can offer to Villa.

Zinchenko has shown specifically just capable he is in those roles of late, occupying a left-sided position in Manchester City’s defence before starring for Ukraine in the middle of the park during the recent international fixtures.

As for Milner, he started out as a midfielder but like Young, has since transitioned into a consistent full-back at the elite level.

That kind of versatility is invaluable to a side and Gerrard will be aware of the “outstanding” Young’s impact on the squad, and as one of the few players in the team with genuine seniority too.

The £88k-per-week earner’s presence at the club is integral – particularly in helping the new signings to bed in – but more so, in terms of helping Villa to transition into a consistent top-six challenging team.

In other news: AVFC keen on signing £25m “great wall”, it’ll be their best business of the window 

A claim has emerged regarding Sunderland’s pursuit of Leicester City goalkeeper Daniel Iversen in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

The Black Cats are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Dane in the coming weeks, although Alan Nixon has now revealed that they are one of numerous teams eyeing him up.

When asked about Sunderland’s chances of landing the shot-stopper, the journalist tweeted: “There’s a queue for him”. He went on to add that it “doesn’t sound like there’s much money about” for the Wearside club ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

When questioned on the budget, Nixon said: “Young guy comes in with big ideas. Then finds out the reality and cost of football. I think they will start spending low and if it goes well … then have a go. Maybe not a bad strategy. You don’t blow all your cash at once. Seen that before and clubs go pop.”

Speakman will be concerned

Black Cats sporting director Kristjaan Speakman must now be concerned that he will not be able to negotiate a deal to sign former Preston loanee Iversen this summer.

Nixon’s claim that the club do not have much money to work with, coupled with there being a queue for the shot-stopper, does not make for good reading from a Sunderland point of view.

Whilst it remains to be seen who the other interested suitors are in Iversen, Speakman will surely be worried that the lack of funds available to him will put the Wearsiders at a disadvantage in the transfer race.

This will be frustrating for the Stadium of Light chief, as Iversen has the potential to be a superb signing for the Black Cats. He is a proven Championship performer who can come in and push Anthony Patterson for the number one jersey, duly creating real competition for places.

In the 2021/22 campaign, the 24-year-old averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.93 across 46 appearances in the division. He saved 70% of the shots on target against him and kept an impressive 13 clean sheets for the mid-table outfit.

Iversen also spent the second half of the 2020/21 season on loan at Deepdale and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.95 in 23 games, saving 71% of the shots against him and keeping nine clean sheets.

These statistics show that the 24-year-old knows how to perform consistently to a high level in the second tier, and that is why Speakman will be concerned by the impending battle for his signature.

AND in other news, Speakman can land a big Gooch upgrade at Sunderland with swoop for “fantastic” £33k-p/w wizard…

Newcastle United have been linked with a summer move for PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from 90min, the Magpies are one of the clubs – alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, Leeds United, Everton and Wolves – who are looking to secure a deal for the Englishman this summer.

After spending time in Tottenham’s youth ranks, the 20-year-old joined PSV’s under-17 side four years ago. Since then, the winger has made 114 appearances for the Dutch outfit across their senior and youth teams, scoring 36 goals and delivering 27 assists along the way.

Bye-bye Almiron

In 34 senior appearances for PSV last season, the youngster found the net nine times and supplied six assists, highlighting how dangerous he can be in front of goal.

In fact, only Cody Gakpo (2.9) ended the league campaign with a higher average of dribbles per game than Madueke (2.4), while just three PSV players racked up more shots on target than the ex-Spurs winger (18).

The attacker received praise from Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers earlier this year before his side took on PSV in the Europa Conference League, when the Foxes manager said: “He’s a talented player, he’s physically very good, he’s got a nice left foot, he’s dynamic, he wants to run in behind, so he’s a threat.”

The former Spurs youth prospect was linked with a move back to the north London club last summer, with a reported price tag of £40m put on him.

Should the Tyneside club beat their Premier League colleagues in securing the PSV star’s signature this summer, it could turn out to be bad news for current Magpies winger Miguel Almiron and his future at St James’ Park, which had already been placed in doubt in recent weeks.

Despite playing less than half as many league minutes compared to the Toon winger last season, Madueke still had more attempts at goal and more than double the number of shots on target (FBRef).

This suggests that the Englishman could be a better option for Newcastle than Almiron in an attacking sense.

Should the Toon look to offload the Paraguay international this summer, bringing in Madueke could be the ideal next step for them.

AND in other news – “Have enquired”: talkSPORT journalist drops NUFC transfer claim that’ll excite supporters

Manchester City are a step closer to securing a transfer deal for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from Fabrizio Romano, the journalist and transfer expert had this to say on the matter.

He said: “Manchester City and Leeds have now all paperworks ready to be signed for Kalvin Phillips deal. Personal terms already agreed – Kalvin only wanted City move.”

As a product of Leeds youth system, Phillips has made 233 senior appearances for the Yorkshire club, scoring 13 goals and providing 13 assists along the way.

Having helped his club get from the Championship and into the Premier League, the Englishman has now made 49 appearances in the top flight.

In those appearances, the 26-year-old has completed 2405 passes and made 81 shot-creating actions.

From a defensive point of view, Phillips has also won 87 tackles, made 342 successful pressures, 103 blocks, 250 interceptions and 89 clearances.

This highlights how much of a well-rounded midfield option he can be for the Citizens.

City supporters will love Romano’s update

Also, with the Leeds star playing more matches (131) under Marcelo Bielsa, who Pep Guardiola has shared his admiration for in the past, than any other coach he’s been managed by, this would also give him a good pedigree to join City’s ranks in the Spaniard’s eyes.

Bearing in mind how the Citizens already have a significant number of English players in their ranks, this may help the Leeds figure settle into his new club once the deal gets officially announced.

Furthermore, taking into account how City recently waved goodbye to their long-serving midfielder, Fernandinho, at the end of last season, getting a player like Phillips who has experience of playing in the Premier League and is very capable on and off the ball could be the perfect way to replace their Brazilian hero.

With that in mind, Romano’s latest update that the club are close to securing a deal for the Leeds midfielder is surely be going to be news that both Guardiola and the City supporters will love.

With Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez also set to begin their City careers next season, adding the England international to the squad will almost certainly give the Manchester club a great chance of retaining the Premier League title and possibly securing the Champions League as well.

AND in other news: “Guardiola wants..”: City eyeing “complete” £63m-rated wizard, imagine him & Haaland

Celtic ended their previous Premiership campaign as the best attacking side in the division, having scored more goals (92) than any other club in the league.

Despite seeing 18 different players get their names on the scoresheet, one man who wasn’t able to find the net was winger Mikey Johnston.

Of his 20 appearances across all competitions last season, the 23-year-old only started five, and he failed to score even one goal along the way.

In addition to suffering some injury issues, it’s safe to say that the attacker was not near the top of the pecking order for Ange Postecoglou.

Even when he did get the chance to play, he didn’t always manage to impress, as his performance against Hibernian back in December was described as “pathetic” by BBC Sportsound pundit Willie Miller.

Therefore, this could make Johnston’s chances of getting regular game-time next season appear rather slim.

In fact, should Postecoglou look to move him out of the club this summer, either on a loan or permanent basis, one other player with whom the Bhoys have been linked and who could be a solid replacement for him is Rabbi Matondo.

After scoring 19 goals in 53 appearances for Manchester City’s youth teams, the winger joined Schalke 04 in January 2019 in a deal worth £11m.

During his loan spell with Cercle Brugge last season, the Welshman scored 10 goals in 27 appearances across all competitions.

Described by Ryan Giggs as having “electrifying” pace, Matondo ended up taking more shots at goal (75) and getting more shots on target (33) than any other player at the Belgian club, highlighting his attacking talent.

By contrast, in Johnston’s 12 Premiership appearances for the Bhoys last season, only six of his 25 shots at goal were on target.

With a reported price tag of £3.5m for Matondo, this is an investment which could be very beneficial for the Hoops, especially if it gives Johnston the chance to prove himself elsewhere if he does end up leaving on loan this summer, or even by making him improve his game if he remains in the Celtic squad for next season.

AND in other news: “Postecoglou would..”: Journalist drops behind-the-scenes claim, it’s great news for Celtic

Sevilla are now in talks to re-sign Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon on loan this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Not involved in pre-season

The Spaniard first arrived in the Premier League when he joined the Lilywhites from Real Madrid two years ago, but has recently fallen out of favour under Antonio Conte.

The left-back was omitted from the club’s pre-season tour of South Korea alongside teammates Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Harry Winks, suggesting that an exit could be imminent.

Reguilon previously played for Sevilla whilst on loan from Madrid, and it now looks like he could be set to follow Lo Celso back to La Liga.

The Latest: Sevilla in talks with Reguilon

In an article published by 90min, it’s claimed that Sevilla are ‘interested’ in bringing Reguilon back to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, with talks over a potential move ‘already underway’.

The source reports that the 25-year-old has been made ‘other offers’ from clubs around Europe, but ‘would prefer’ to rejoin the La Liga outfit.

It’s stated that Julen Lopetegui’s side are ‘initially trying to engineer a loan deal’ for their target, and have ‘already freed up space’ for him in their squad following Ludwig Augustinsson’s move to Aston Villa.

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The Verdict: Bit-part player

The summer arrival of Ivan Perisic has likely pushed Reguilon even further down the pecking order, so a Hotspur Way exit, albeit a temporary one, would be the best option for both parties at this moment in time.

The six-cap international, who was once described as ‘one of the best’ left-backs in Europe by Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold, has only made 16 appearances in the top flight since Conte’s arrival, so needs to make the switch to a club where he knows he will be guaranteed more game time.

Reguilon still has three years remaining on his contract in N17 so the benefit of a loan is that he will be able to return next summer and assess his options to fully decide where he wants the next stage of his career to be moving forward.

Liverpool have already secured and extended the contract of Mohamed Salah this summer, and it now looks like they will be making efforts to keep hold of another Anfield star imminently.

What’s the latest?

According to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, the Reds are now prioritising a new and improved contract for Diogo Jota.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs revealed: “Liverpool will also look to offer Diogo Jota improved terms as a matter of priority. Most of the other names currently being linked with Liverpool are just rumour or agent talk with little substance.”

Supporters will be delighted

There is no doubt that Liverpool supporters will be delighted to hear that Jota could be given an improved contract, especially when you consider how well the Portuguese star has done since he made the move to Merseyside in 2020.

Over 85 appearances for the Reds, Jota has scored 34 goals and delivered nine assists, with a goal contribution every 124 minutes played proving that he has become a consistent and reliable performer in the front three during his time at the club already.

The 25-year-old was the third-highest scorer in the squad last term with 21 goals and was tied as the sixth-highest scorer in the Premier League alongside Kevin de Bruyne on 15, but it’s not just his goal contributions which have made him a valuable asset to Jurgen Klopp.

Jota ranked third for the most big chances created (67) in the Premier League, only falling short to Salah and Harry Kane, while he ranked first for headed goals in the top flight.

The Liverpool forward also made 1.2 key passes and 1.1 tackles and won 4.1 duels per game over 35 league appearances, along with scoring one goal and delivering one assist in the Reds’ impressive Champions League campaign.

Klopp is a huge fan of Jota and has made his feelings clear on the player on many occasions, reserving high praise for the 25-year-old, who he hailed as “exceptional” following his brace against Southampton last season.

The German claimed of Jota (via EuroSport): “Exceptional player, exceptional boy. He has everything that a Liverpool player in this squad needs, he has the technical skills, he has the physical skills and he is very smart and can learn all the tactical stuff pretty quick.”

With that in mind, securing the Portugal international’s future at Anfield would be a major coup for FSG as they continue their pursuit for trophies and further success in the future.

AND in other news: Klopp can land his very own De Bruyne with £77m Liverpool bid for “top-class” talent

West Ham United remain interested in signing Andrea Belotti this summer, according to a report from Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown: Long-standing target

The Hammers have had Belotti on their radar for some time now having initially been linked in May 2021, but any move has failed to materialise and the dangerous frontman has since become a free agent following the expiry of a contract at Torino.

Mega-rich Premier League rivals Newcastle United have also recently been indexed to the 28-year-old Italy international, who directly contributed to 141 goals in 251 outings whilst at Torino, where he was club captain.

Now, despite the stepping up of the pursuit for Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca, it appears as though the Irons could still harbour ambitions of bringing Belotti to the London Stadium…

The latest: Outlet shares Belotti update…

As per TuttoMercatoWeb, translated by SW, West Ham ‘remain at the window’ to sign the 44-cap hitman.

It’s claimed that Belotti is also a target for Borussia Dortmund as the Bundesliga giants have been left ‘scrambling’ for a new striker after ex-Hammer Sebastien Haller was diagnosed with a testicular tumour last week.

The report also states that Turkish quartet Galatasaray, Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor are all in the mix to sign the man who was heralded as ‘unstoppable’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2020.

The verdict: No brainer

Still holding a perceived market value of £18million despite being without a club (Transfermarkt), signing Belotti for nothing would be a sensational piece of business from the West Ham hierarchy regardless of whether or not the Scamacca deal can be completed.

In fact, linking up the two compatriots in east London would give David Moyes the wealth of options required to maintain a serious push at the business end of each and every competition, whilst also allowing Michail Antonio to get much-needed rest having previously been heavily relied upon.

Last season, Belotti endured a challenging campaign with injuries and subsequently only managed eight goals and one assist in 23 appearances across all competitions as a result.

Despite the fitness woes and drop off in goal output compared to his usual levels however, the bull-like combative Italian frontman still managed to earn a superb 7.08 Sofascore rating whilst taking 2.6 shots and winning 5.8 duels per game – outperforming defenders Angelo Ogbonna (3.5) and Craig Dawson (4.1) in terms of duels.

Those battling qualities, physical presence and imposing stature, combined with a clinical eye for goal, make Belotti a no-risk option for GSB with just wages to worry about and it would be remiss of recruitment chief Rob Newman to not make an offer at this stage.

Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to sign another centre-back before deadline day on September 1st…

What’s the word?

That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who delivered a fresh update on Spurs’ plans to This Is Futbol this week, where he said:

“I think that the January window would probably make more sense to them anyway [to sign another centre-back].

“Barring an injury crisis, they’ve definitely got enough to get through to November when the season pauses, and then they could address it over the next mini pre-season I guess that you’re going to have and over the World Cup games.

“I don’t think we’ll see a centre-back coming in, if I’m totally honest.”

Conte will be fuming

It has been reported that Spurs’ next move would be to bolster Antonio Conte’s backline with another addition, despite adding Clement Lenglet on loan from Barcelona in recent weeks.

Ivan Perisic and Djed Spence have also been added to the wing-back ranks as part of a summer spending spree that has seen six new names walk through the door at Hotspur Way.

talkSPORT’s Alex Crook claimed to GIVEMESPORT last week that “a centre-back is more of a priority” than signing a no.10 or playmaking option.

The likes of Pau Torres from Villarreal, Torino colossus Gleison Bremer and Conte’s former Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni have all been linked with a switch to north London throughout the summer window, though the latter two won’t be happening.

Juventus are now closing in on a deal for the Brazilian, whilst the Italy international is keen to remain at the San Siro, so perhaps it is no surprise to see Jones suggest that they will wait to bolster the defence again.

Given Conte’s desire to transform the Lilywhites into a better side this season, this news will surely leave him gutted, if not a little fuming as he is only a few more pieces away from having a team that can challenge on all fronts in 2022/23.

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Spurs will need to rotate regularly, having qualified for the Champions League, and the addition of another centre-back would certainly have allowed them to keep a back three, with Cristian Romero and Eric Dier the only two guaranteed ‘first-choice’ options.

Whilst Tottenham have done well to keep Conte happy with six new arrivals, he will surely not be pleased by this update.

AND in other news, Spurs have “been offered” £34m-rated “special talent”, he’s way better than Moura…